MESA, Ariz. — He remembers it well because how couldn’t he?
How can you erase 50-112? Or beginning a season 10-45? Or your team ranking dead last across the major leagues in batting average, slugging percentage and ERA?
“Going through a year like that — as tough as it was — made us better and mentally stronger,” Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers said. “To go through something like that and come out the other side brought us all closer.
“The only thing you can do is come to the field every day and continue moving forward. It’s never fun. But that season has only helped us.”
It seems a lot longer than 2023. The A’s have been building a more consistent and capable roster since that disastrous season, grooming young stars to pave the way for a future many deem bright as relocation to Las Vegas awaits in 2028.
The A’s are here for Big League Weekend against the Angels on Saturday and Sunday at Las Vegas Ballpark, an opportunity for local fans to see some of those rising players the team has secured for the future.
Maturation as catcher
Langeliers is in his fourth full big-league season and getting better with each passing one. He is coming off his best year yet, when he hit .277 with 31 home runs and 72 RBIs.
But there is more.
It is his overall maturation as a catcher. His preparation. His professionalism. He is a sounding board to younger players, someone who has seen the worst of times and is convinced the best of them is right around the corner.
Mark Kotsay is an A’s manager who has also witnessed the player grow exponentially over the years. Kotsay talks about the work ethic, the presence, the calming influence. Never too high or low. Consistent in how he handles himself, regardless if it’s about success or failure.
“We might be young, but we’re hungry,” Langeliers said. “Everyone wants to get better and improve on the little things every single day. There’s always something at this game you can get better at. This team is ready to do that. It’s really a close group. We have a lot of fun together but we work really hard.”
There is no question the A’s have lacked consistent pitching in recent years. It’s one of the reasons 76 wins could have been more last year. Even now, several are vying to fill out the back end of a rotation for the coming season.
But it’s not for a lack of skill or inability to handle a staff from behind the plate.
To hear those throwing pitches, Langeliers has all the makeup of a terrific catcher when it comes to knowing what buttons to push depending who’s on the mound at a given moment.
“Shea understands the strengths of each guy and what hitter’s at the plate,” A’s pitcher Brady Basso said. “He’s a student of the game, always saying the right things and calling the right pitch. He’s one of the first guys in the clubhouse every day, creating relationships with teammates.
“Knowing he’s on the same page with us takes a lot of pressure off of everybody. We can go out there and know he has faith in us to execute. He throws a sign down and we go with it. We don’t have to shake it off very often. It helps a lot. It’s huge having him back there for us.”
The A’s of late have extended several of their starting players, from Brent Rooker to Lawrence Butler to Tyler Soderstrom to Jacob Wilson.
There have been reports that first baseman Nick Kurtz has also been offered a deal and that there is definite interest in signing Langeliers to one.
But this offseason was about the team avoiding arbitration with its catcher by agreeing to a one-year deal worth a reported $5.25 million. He would like more security. Who wouldn’t?
“Everything will work itself out,” Langeliers said. “It’s not something I’m worried about or concerned with. I want to be here. I love the guys, love the coaching staff, love the organization.”
One of best
He spent time in Triple-A with the Aviators before being called up to the majors in 2022. Then came the forgettable campaign of 2023, when the A’s were the worst team in baseball and it was no fun coming to the ballpark each day.
But he’s sure the team and those still around grew from the experience. He’s sure it made them better in the long run.
And that’s what Shea Langeliers has done ever since. Just getting better and better.
“He has done it in every facet of his game,” Aviators manager Fran Riordan said. “Hitting, catching, handling a pitching staff. Development doesn’t stop once you get to the big leagues, no matter if you’re 19 or 35. Shea is the perfect example of someone who has really grown.
“You look at what he’s done the past three years — he’s now up there in the air as far as the best all-around catchers in the major leagues.”
Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.
